In December, 2010 we filled Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels with our Russian Imperial Stout, Baracus. After a year of aging, the result is a densely viscous treat with hints of vanilla, bourbon and oak. We pity the fool who doesn't try this one!

Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by joshuaseresse:

Had a few of these while visiting Chicago over the new year. Served into 10oz snifters:

A - Pours a dark black with a decent foam head for the ABV. Nice ring around the edges with heavier bubbles around the edges. Pretty good lacing.

S - You can really smell the fresh Jack Daniel and Heaven Hill barrels. Really nice vanilla coming through, with a little bit of roast and oak but very much bourbon forward. Hints of brown sugar and chocolate but that's pretty much it.

Reviewing the infamous BA Baracus from Revolution Brewing Company. This beer has long eluded me. Twice before I have sought it out, only twice to arrive too little too late. The third time was the charm, however, with me camping out near the front of the line at Revolution's grand opening until this beer was finally tapped. It was well worth the wait (especially since I got to drink a half glass of Bourbon County Vanilla while waiting).Score: 96

6 oz tap pour served in a plastic cup at the grand opening of Revolution's new brewing/canning facility and enjoyed on 05/25/12. Thank you MasterSki (Alex) for muling me a second glass, which I ended up walking around with and sharing with various strangers at the party. Review is from iPhone notes.

Appearance: The beer is a black coffee color. Served with just under a finger of creamy dark tan-colored head that settles to a thin layer. Noticeably awesome lacing and retention -- even in the plastic cup! 4.5/5

Smell: Rich vanilla frosting and chocolate cake. Raisin, molasses and sweet milk chocolate. There is a faint boozy heat in the nose and just a touch of oak. As the beer warms, it smells more and more like "syrupy raisins." 4.5/5

Taste: Oooh boy! Smooth and syrupy bourbon-drenched dark chocolate. Creamy vanilla bean, warm brown sugar/molasses, raisin and plum on the midpalate. Baker's chocolate and a little wood too. Rich milk chocolate and molasses aftertaste with excellent linger. As the beer warms, it becomes more molasses-y bourbon forward -- particularly in the finish. There's more alcohol warmth on the tongue than the base beer, but the beer is still quite smooth and unboozy for the ABV. 4.75/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, minimal carbonation. Syrupy and sticky mouthfeel. Modestly sweet. Smooth like the base beer, but with more "palate warmth" and dark fruit complexity. 4.5/5

Overall: This was the single beer I most wanted to try from Revolution, and finally getting to sample it was arguably one of the main reasons I decided to get tickets to the grand opening party. BA Baracus did not disappoint; it was much more complex than the base beer. If this gets bottled as part of Revolution's future portfolio, I will chase it down across the city of Chicago.

T - Very smooth. Cocoa in the beginning with a bit of brown sugar and wood midway through. Wood and whiskey are nicely mellow, with appropriate vanilla in the middle. The finish is great on this one with some good roast and char mingling in with the sweetness. Good stuff.

M - Smooth, lower carbonation, full bodied.

O - Great beer, would love to drink this regularly. Goes down easily, great taste, not hot at all. A BA stout offering that can hold it's own with pretty much anything.

T - Chocolate brownies, smooth bourbon, touch of oak, burnt sugars, light roast, and hints of dark fruit. Again, very smooth and sweet, just the right amount of both...just how a Barrel-Aged RIS should be. Finish is light bourbon and sweet chocolate.

M - Full, rich and smooth, very viscous, creamy finish.

O - Revolution did it right with this beer. The 12% is really no where to be found, but is still there to complement the beer. I haven't had the base beer, so I can speak on that. This beer, however, is just excellent. Recommend.

I picked a great time for my long-awaited first trip to Revolution. Very glad to see this beast on. Served in a snifter.

A - Dark chocolate brown, but just as opaque as most black stouts. A nice tightly-packed mocha cap of just over a finger lingers nicely, then settles into a solid collar with sexy lacing.

S - Lots of Tollhouse chocolate chips and charred oak in the nose, supported by a strong vanilla aroma. Some subtle roasted coffee notes and a more full bourbon bouquet are released as this warms up. Not as overwhelming as some other barrel-aged stouts, but pleasing nonetheless.

T - Follows the nose very closely, with the bourbon flavors becoming ascendant. Smooth and balanced throughout. Sweet on the back end, but not cloying.

O - This is a pretty outstanding offering, I'd love to see it bottled so I can experiment with cellaring it. As it is, easily the second best barrel-aged stout brewed in Chicago. Considering what the first is, that's actually fairly high praise. I'd put this into a blind tasting with KBS, BA Blackout, and BA Plead the 5th, and I think it would hold its own.

T - The taste is quite similar, but with a tad more oak and whiskey presence and a bit more attenuation. There's an unexpected licorice note that pops up in the finish that also helps balance the beer. Still, there's plenty of melted chocolate, vanilla, brownies and fudge to satisfy the sweetest of teeth.

M - Milkshake texture, chewy and sticky, with some light barrel tannins in the finish. The moderate carbonation level is a pleasant surprise an keeps things from getting overly heavy. There's a faint bit of warming at the end of the 10oz, but it serves as a nice reminder not to slam down numerous snifters of this fine stuff.

D - A home run for Revolution here. This needs to be made every year, and I suspect it may be the best use of a Jack Daniels barrel that I've ever encountered. Crushable for 12% and worth making a special trip to experience.